James Gandolfini: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

And 5 That Sucked...

5. Mayor Of New York - The Taking Of Pelham 123 (2009)

James Gandolfini finally reconvened with director Tony Scott several years after True Romance €“ and really, they needn't have bothered. The Taking Of Pelham 123 was a great, taut little seventies thriller, based on the novel by Morton Freedgood and starring the likes of Walter Matthau and Robert Shaw. The 2009 remake, meanwhile, stars Denzel Washington on one of his off days (which tended to align with the times he worked with the inconsistent Scott), and John Travolta with a funny haircut. It wasn't a very good remake, nor a particularly good film. The Mayor Of New York was originated by Lee Wallace in the original film, with Gandolfini taking up the mantle for the remake. It's an interesting character, one who's balancing being pragmatic with the hostage situation aboard the New York subway train Travolta has held up and trying to make sure he looks good to the public. A lot of pressure in that job, y'know. Unfortunately the hackneyed script and pedestrian direction don't give him much to work with, leading to an incredibly ordinary performance.